The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-12-31

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sic, who entertained very favorable opinion.
as to Peter. lie donned his other clothes, y
and babe good bye to his mother, who, know
| ing what he was up 10, sent him OF with her
blessing. He arrived in Poughkeepsie and
in due time he and Miss Caroline ". North
were married She is n daughter of Major
Gabriel North, hero of the war of 1912
and then in command Of the fort at Sackett S
Harbor, on Lake Ontario. She was born
in Watertown, \. Y. They were married
July 18th, 1915. After visiting awhile
among friends, they came to the farm, in
Monroe county, where they resided two
years. Peters affection for that farm and
the prodgious labor it required was no, very
intense, and grew small by degrees and
beautifully less till finally in sheer desper-
alton, he made general auction sale of the
whole establishment. He had spent about
$4,000 upon it and when everything was
settled up, he had but 81, 100 left!
LOOKING FOR A YBw HOME.
He had sold out in le47, and was without
a home. He took his wife and baby daugh-
ter to ST. Louis and left them at comfortable
lodgings, and started to look up q new home
lie was accompanied by Mr.. Charles C..
North, who had lived at Columbus, Miss
About that time the Methodist church had q
split "North" and "South." He was q
member, and as his belieftended Nor.hward,
he found it moro congenial to seek home
in this end of the Union. They visited De-
catur, Jacksonville, Springfield, Blooming
ton, Ottawa, Aurora, Elgin, St. Charles, and
oven Chicago, but the latter was then moth.
ing but a dismal swamp at the edge of the
lake, and neither of them liked it, Mr..
North went to New York City, and in time
became prominent wholesale merchant and
importer. Mr. Russell decided
IN FAVOR OF OTTAWA,
And he began with energy to start in bust
ness. Discovering that there was then no
general furniture store here, he determined
to open one He bought an old frame build.
ing, dwelling belonging to Mr.. John Ilise,
on La Sale street, knocked out the front
end of it, put in windows suitable to q store,
and was ready to stock it with goods all
within forty eight hours time. He went for
his family and brought up the river with
them and his mother, stock of furniture
He arrived at La Sale in the spring just in
time to catch the first canal beat up bound,
and it left his wares on the dock here, about
5000 worth, but it made a big pile and PEG
pie wondered what the newcomer was going |
10 do with so much furri'ure lie bought |
ihe windows second handed from Walker &
and put them in, and put in his |
goods and opened his store and established
his family all in one day. This was April
2Oh, 1913. Sometime after he bought out a
Mr.. Moshier, on the lot where nc now does
business.
soREoWfUL DEATH or LITTLE HARRY.
MIR. and Mrs. Russells children were:
Jane, who died when she was eight years |
old, and next, Fannie, who died at like I
age: then came Charles g., now CT the firm !
Of Russell & Son, and his twin brother Har-
ry, who met his death'under the following
peculiarly sad circumstances. when about !
four years old: MIR. Russell had come in TO
dinner, and missing from the table his little
son, Harry, asked for him. lie had been
playing about the house but few moments |
before. Mr.. Russell called him, but receiv. |
ing no answer, went TO look for him. Not !
ending him about the premises, lie met Mr.. !
Buchanan, aud they started out upon the
street, looking every where. In short time
they came upon n scene of the most heart.
rending nature. The little boy was found
lying upon his face in The mud, with q seed
sower overturned upon him, and be had
smothered to death 1t appears that he and
n playmate, Il young man who is we'll known
IN business here, and who can never recall
ludb A'sbl AiA hGNltN4At HArIibAN NhbAADu, "Ntp
playing upon a seed sower, part of stock
which had been displayed for sale, upon the
vacant lot just south Of the present FREE
TRADER Office, when the weight of the chill.
dren overturned the machine with the awful
result we have given. The other little boy
was not caught By it, aud was so terrified
that he ran home and for some time could
convey no idea to his mother of what had
happened, nor did she comprehend it at all,
ill the news of Harry's fate afterwards
reached her from others. Mr.. Russell
picked up the lifeless remains Of his little
pot and carried them home, and the scene
that followed, the agony of the mother and
grandmother, we are powerless to describe.
MIR. RUssELL's FAMILY
Peter Russel's brother John died on his
farm in Monroe county, two years ago, and
his sister Teresa died in St. Louis eight years
ago His other sister is one Of the most
prominent Catholic Sisters in the West. She
is Mother Superior ofthe Visitation Convent,